Recent years have seen strong developments in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in medical imaging, especially deep learning techniques. These methods are increasingly able to interpret computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations and to analyse combined data sets. Artificial intelligence is expected to be the key to improving quality of life while reducing healthcare costs. The expected sharp increase in the use of AI techniques is accompanied by social and economic, and ethical and legal consequences. A clear need exists to address these and other social issues in parallel with technological developments in the field of AI before AI can be implemented.

As University Professor, Išgum will initiate new AI research with respect to technical advances in AI imaging research and implementation in clinical practice, and to the societal impact of AI. UvA Rector Magnificus Karen Maex: ‘The research carried out by Ivana Išgum and her research group at the Image Sciences Institute of UMC Utrecht focuses on the development of algorithms for quantitative analysis of medical images to enable automatic diagnosis and prognosis of patients. This fits perfectly with our aims for this chair. I am therefore pleased to welcome Ivana and her group to the UvA.’

About Ivana Išgum

Ivana Išgum (1973) is associate professor at UMC Utrecht, where she heads the Quantitative Medical Image Analysis (QIA) group at the Image Sciences Institute. The QIA group focuses on the development of algorithms for quantitative analysis of medical images to enable automatic patient diagnosis and prognosis using techniques from the fields of machine learning and deep learning. Besides research, Išgum also taught different courses. She was involved in the creation of a national teaching programme for PhD researchers in the field of medical image analysis and organised a summer course for Dutch PhD researchers in that same field. Išgum is the recipient of several large grants and has published extensively in numerous scientific peer-reviewed journals.

University Professors at the UvA

The UvA currently has five University Professors: Robbert Dijkgraaf, Alexander Rinnooy Kan, Patti Valkenburg, Frank Vandenbroucke and the recently appointed professor of AI and Information Retrieval Maarten de Rijke. By establishing the four new chairs, AI and Information Retrieval, Humanities and AI, AI and Medical Imaging, and Law and Technology with a special emphasis on AI, the UvA aims to give an extra boost to its AI research and teaching. In addition to their university-wide assignment, the new University Professors will also have a faculty assignment. They will be expected to give an impetus to academic developments that transcend the traditional disciplines and thereby make an important contribution to the profiling of the university.